bridleOFF THE winter

weanlings and yearlings rearing successful young stock opening of scintigraphy unit to help keep On May 25th 2009 Henrietta, the possible by a generous contribution Dowager Duchess of Bedford as an acknowledgement for the your young horse officially opened in honour of her many years they have enjoyed late husband “The Robin, Duke of as owners and breeders with healthy and fit Bedford Scintigraphy Unit” that has Bloomsbury Stud. The unit has 6 tips been installed at our Equine been installed at NUTRITION AND GROWTH – Weanlings SCREENING RADIOGRAPHS – Radiographing Hospital. The opening was attended Veterinary Services Equine Hospital will achieve 60-70% of their mature weanlings/yearlings to check for OCD or bone cysts by members of the equine and on the understanding that it is weight and 90% of their mature height by 12 is highly recommended especially if the horse is heading for veterinary industries. Henrietta available to all horse owners and months of age if they receive adequate the yearling sales or has high resale or genetic/ paid tribute to her late husband veterinary practices. nutrition. From 6-12 months of age weanlings performance value. This is especially important in rapidly Robin saying the unit was made should gain approximately 0.5 kg per day. More growing breeds such as thoroughbreds and warmbloods. rapid gain or uneven gain will predispose them to For thoroughbreds destined for the Karaka yearling sales developmental orthopaedic diseases (see below). these should be done in July/August to allow time for Weanlings do not necessarily need to get hard feed, treatment before sales. All other horses should be done however, we often hard feed weanlings and yearlings that after 11 months of age. are destined for yearling sales or early sale. It is important news supplement that is designed to improve that if they are getting hard feed that it is specially CASTRATION FOR COLTS – Castration of colts between formulated for growing horses. If weanlings are not being 4-12 months of age is recommended if they are not update the absorption of joint hard fed they still need to be getting a complete feed destined for sales or stud. There is lower risk of complications Nutritional joint supplements offer an related nutrients from supplement that provide adequate minerals, amino acids both from surgery and from anaesthesia with younger colts. additional way of trying to support your the gut allowing higher and fatty acids. Colts that are castrated young do, however, tend to grow It has been all go at the horses joints for competition and concentrations to reach the taller than entire males. It is also beneficial for breeders with MVS Equine Hospital over performance. Healthy joint fluid lubricates joint. Both products limited space, as entire colts should not be housed with fillies the last few months. We the joint and has better shock absorbing are available over the or mares once they are weaned. have just finished a new capabilities. LUBRISYN is an oral counter at MVS Equine. Platinum P erformance is the stable block including supplement containing Hyaluronic Acid, a Talk to your vet about ideal nutritional supplement for VACCINATIONS – Most weanlings will have had their naturally occurring protein molecule what joint supplement facilities for our Nuclear hint growing horses. vaccination program started at around four months normally found in synovial joint fluid and might be suitable for of age. It is very important to stick to the schedule and Scintigraphy Unit. cartilage. CORTAFLEX is another oral joint your horse. make sure that the entire first series of vaccinations are Since our last newsletter given on time. All weanlings should be done for Strangles we have had two and Tetanus. Other vaccinations may be indicated based on veterinary interns start DEVELOPMENTALORTHOPAEDIC DISEASE – These are the farm’s environment. a group of problems that arise in growing horses, with us, Sam Taylor and and may be related to uneven or too rapid bone growth. PARASITISM – Weanlings/yearlings are a very Rabecca McKenzie. Epiphysitis is swelling and pain associated with abnormal susceptible group for parasites. The parasites we Lisa Burch has returned activity in the growth plates. It most commonly affects the worry most about are Strongyles and reminder from maternity leave to Vaccination reminder for Broodmares knees and fetlocks. Osteochondrosis Tapeworms. Strongyles migrate through (OCD) is abnormal development of bone the body during their immature stages work part time in the All in-foal broodmares should receive the following vaccinations: and cartilage in joints. This can result in and can result in weight loss and office, whilst Richelle • Tetanus and Strangles 4-6 weeks before foaling inflammation and pain in the joints, and intermittent signs of colic. These Cossill is presently on • Equine Herpes Virus 1 (EHV-1) at 5, 7, and 9 months of pregnancy, or as most often presents first as an effused immature stages may not be killed by maternity leave. otherwise directed by your veterinarian. joint with or without lameness. Bone normal wormer paste. It is important to All dry broodmares should receive an annual booster of Tetanus and Strangles. The hospital is still busy cysts are holes in the bone near the discuss a control program with your despite it being the off- Different stud farms may use additional vaccinations, such as Salmonella and joint surface where bone has failed to veterinarian. Tapeworms are easily Rotavirus. It is important to make sure that your mare is appropriately season and we have had develop properly. The stifle is the most controlled with wormers that contain vaccinated for the stud where she is going to foal. common site for these lesions. All of praziquantel. Tapeworms have been many interesting and these conditions require consultation associated with intussusceptions challenging cases. If your in-foal mare has never been vaccinated or you do not know her vaccine with your veterinarian. (telescoping bowel) in young horses. history you should contact your veterinarian immediately.

362 Hinuera Road West, RD2 Matamata • Tel 07 888 8193 • Fax 07 888 8138 • Email [email protected] • www.matamatavets.co.nz 362 Hinuera Road West, RD2 Matamata • Tel 07 888 8193 • Fax 07 888 8138 • Email [email protected] • www.matamatavets.co.nz stress nuclear fractures scintigraphy

Stress fractures appear as a localised crack within the bone. imaging modality for Nuclear Scintigraphic Imaging is a long established In simple terms Technetium is injected intravenously into Stress fractures have the potential to enlarge and become a identifying stress fractures diagnostic method that provides the examining vet with the horse. When the technetium has reached an optimum complete fracture if exercise continues. Many complete and is able to show up stress Physiological Function Information regarding the horse's uptake level, the horse is imaged using a gamma camera fractures that result from stress fracture propagation are fractures that radiographs cannot demonstrate. anatomy and pathology. and computer system to provide the vital diagnostic not repairable and require the humane destruction of the information to the vet. horse. Stress fractures are significant injuries and their treatment Scintigraphy will often be used to provide early diagnosis accurate and early diagnosis is desirable to avoid such a Stress fractures are typically of a variety of medical conditions and for the staging of a At present Nuclear Scintigraphy is primarily used in potential event. treated by resting the disease during its development. As a modality Scintigraphy veterinary practice as a diagnostic tool to find problems in affected horse. This will provides a complementary diagnostic process to work the skeletal system of horses. This bone scanning Stress fractures are typically the result of the repetitive consist of a graduated alongside the more familiar mainstream diagnostic technique has fast become the gold standard in the imaging methods such as x-ray and ultrasound. diagnosis of a variety of common problems in equine force of galloping. They can, however, in rare cases develop schedule starting with box athletes, typically stress fractures, limb injuries and back without going faster than a trot. rest and progressing to a and pelvic problems etc. yard and then paddock rest. clinical signs A 12-16 weeks rest period is The improved diagnosis of stress fractures has been of Stress fractures generally cause lameness. Although, horses typically advised. Bone great benefit in reducing the mortality from these injuries may not become lame until the crack is creating instability heals well at most stress by preventing them from developing into catastrophic in the affected bone. In some cases they exhibit fracture sites. fractures. Scintigraphy is not only more sensitive in the intermittent signs of lameness. With rest these horses often detection of stress fractures than radiography, but it resolve their lameness rapidly. The major problem with allows images of areas that cannot be radiographed, such stress fractures is that they as the pelvis. Because of its sensitivity it also allows This does not mean, however, can be present with only an monitoring of the healing process so that horses may be intermittent lameness or returned to training at the correct time. that the stress fracture is healed. one that improves rapidly The cannon bone is the most commonly affected site in with rest. On occasion This service has previously had restricted access for training thoroughbreds. Stress fractures are seen in a variety horses will break down with equine patients in the upper . We are proud to of other sites including the humerus, tibia, scapula, pelvis a major complete fracture that began as a stress fracture. have this service now available at our hospital. and spinal vertebrae. These horses may have never had obvious clinical signs of lameness or the lameness was not detected. Horses in diagnosis training should be monitored closely for any signs of artificial Lighting The gold standard diagnostic method for stress fractures is lameness. Early identification of stress fractures will reduce for dry broodmares Nuclear Scintigraphy. Scintigraphy is an extremely sensitive their potential for catastrophic consequences. Horses by nature are seasonal breeders. They Lights are used to create an artificially lengthened day for start to come into season as the day length dry mares during the winter period. Mares need to be becomes longer. In the Southern Hemisphere the normal exposed to a 14-hour day for 60-80 days prior to the start of ovarian cycle peaks in January/February. For the breeding season. The suggested start date is 15th July. thoroughbreds in particular this is after the breeding It is recommended that the artificial light be added at the season is over. This also affects polo and sport horse mares end of the natural day. For example on 15th July the that are enrolled in embryo transfer programs before the natural day length is 8 hours 46 min in the so the peak of their competition season. Many dry mares may not mares would need to have 5 hours and 15 minutes of light cycle properly well into the breeding season. There are added at the end of the day. different methods that have been used to try to “hurry” these mares up. One of the most effective methods is The intensity of the light that is recommended is 200-watt artificial light exposure. incandescent light bulb for stalls. Lighting can be done in paddocks or yards. It is important in these cases that light Recent information has shown that dry mares under lights exposure is sufficient in all areas of the paddock. It is are quicker to cycle and get in foal, and have a higher important to confer with your veterinarian when overall pregnancy rate for the season compared with attempting to set up a lighting program for your mares. If mares that were not under lights. Currently only 35% of dry you are unable to logistically use lights, there are other thoroughbred mares in are being managed alternatives for bringing mares into season earlier. These with artificial lighting. can be discussed with your veterinarian closer to the breeding season.